SOPA. Should we be worried?

[Scuba_Steve]

S.O.P.A. (Stop Online Piracy Act)
"To promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation
by combating the theft of U.S. property, and
for other purposes"

...you thought "skynet" was bad

for those whom have not heard, is an American Bill they're currently trying to pass under the name of "stopping Internet piracy". Doesn't sound to harmful to law abiding citizens does it?
But take a look at that last line "and for other purposes" This bill is effectively Internet censorship & while we do not live in America, we should be worried!!!

This bill has be written so vague as to allow the US Govt & corporate entities almost free reign & not just over US, as is the American way this purposes to control the worlds interwebs, allowing them to shutdown & prosecute any website or person found to be associated with pirated content or content they do not like, skipping all due process (no court time needed). Unlawful actions include simply visiting a site with said content on it, mentioning said content, or even linking to a site a user has uploaded said content. Pretty much anything, if they want to "rape" you, your being "raped" is effectively what it comes down to.

Luckily this has been delayed due to them exceeding their anti petition target of 25,000 well before deadline of 17th Jan (currently 30,000) but they are trying & most likely will succeed in passing a Internet censorship bill which will affect everyone.

And so people get the point, if someone came on KB & posted a passage from a book, a link to a site showing copyrighted material (incl a YouTube link), details of a product leak, or even a home-made video with unintentional copyrighted material playing in the background this site could be shutdown immediately & everyone associated with it (both owners & users) prosecuted with no trial.

Welcome to China people... Retrofitted

PDF for people who like to read (http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/112hr3261.pdf)

[HenryDorsetCase]

For once I agree with you. America is a fascist bureaucracy controlled by large corporations, with the biggest army in the world. Be afraid. Americans are awesome, generally, but Lawks.

[george formby]

Set to music....

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GPhTz6g_4RE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[mashman]

Just another excuse to enforce the new NDAA legislation... (http://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/NDAA)... At least the sheeple will be safe.

[Scuba_Steve]

Just another excuse to enforce the new NDAA legislation... (http://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/NDAA)... At least the sheeple will be safe.

sounds like we're getting closer & closer to complete censorship, next it'll be "burn the books"

[James Deuce]

In light of what's being done to Go Daddy, we should be very worried.

[mashman]

sounds like we're getting closer & closer to complete censorship, next it'll be "burn the books"

heh... it worked for China :). No need to burn that which exists online...



In light of what's being done to Go Daddy, we should be very worried.


???

[James Deuce]

http://betanews.com/2011/12/27/stop-the-dump-go-daddy-madness/

This ranks with Ultra-Orthodox Jews standing in the street calling 8 year Orthodox Jewish girls "whores (http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/6194776/Girl-bears-brunt-of-Israeli-religious-stoush)" for not wearing long sleeved blouses and long skirts.

SOPA will ultimately prove to be as meaningless as every other Internet censorship attempt made in the last 30 years. In the meantime lets be dicks.

[mashman]

http://betanews.com/2011/12/27/stop-the-dump-go-daddy-madness/

This ranks with Ultra-Orthodox Jews standing in the street calling 8 year Orthodox Jewish girls "whores (http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/6194776/Girl-bears-brunt-of-Israeli-religious-stoush)" for not wearing long sleeved blouses and long skirts.

SOPA will ultimately prove to be as meaningless as every other Internet censorship attempt made in the last 30 years. In the meantime lets be dicks.

So up there with people being expected to wear suits to work then. (that 8 yr olds parents should know the rules by now?)

Then why bother passing the legislation? There's always a reason to pass this sort of shit and these days it's more and more along the lines of, oh it looks like that law has been "broken", throw the fucker in jail, no need to prove it and no need to pass go.

[Brian d marge]

the us of an a.......
was watching QI ..last night, and one question was, about the three strike law
something like 20% of Americans are in prison, (I will check this when I get
off the sofa) more than china......
really has become a vehicle for the super rich, and corporations to do what they want
look at the way they bulldozed sky net through, ( do it or we won't trade) ...
maybe it IS time to say enough is enough
though I'm not sure that occupying Dunedin is effective enough......
stephen

[pete376403]

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers and then you cash in on guilt." --Ayn Rand.

[The Everlasting]

That sucks so bad,just like the three strikes law,it will probably end up here too.



I remember talking to a friend in china a while ago,I sent him a link to a website I wanted him to have a look at,he then said "I can't view that
website because it's blocked here in china". I guess that's what we have to look forward too.

[SMOKEU]

I recommend using BTGuard Proxy. It's a lot more simple to configure than a VPN and you can test it with www.checkmytorrentip.com to make sure it works properly.

[Scuba_Steve]

That sucks so bad,just like the three strikes law,it will probably end up here too.


if you look at the law, Americas trying to give themselves world-wide legality. i.e. if someone mentions piratebay on here, a NZ site (as I just have) Americas trying to give themselves the ability to shutdown this site & fine everyone involved (owners & users alike) if they so wish, with no need for trial.

My understanding of what they're trying to pass into law is a world-wide American controlled internet censorship under the guise of "stopping piracy" & this is why we should be worried

[Brian d marge]

A little bit of topic , but in the same vein. I went out to Dinner last night , to one of these family steak houses. 20 dollars , for a 250 grm steak , hamburger pattie , fries and ...All you can eat beef stew , bread rolls , salad and desert.

then I remembered that video, posted a few day ago on kb about the slaughter houses , and The American beef industry .

Kinda Catch 22, On the one had these places are so cheap that a family of four can eat within the budget , but on the other hand WHY are they cheap ; reason, for all the things we are complaining about .

Solution, well I would like to say I wont eat there, but that isn’t going to happen. I will be come a vegetarian. Well yes possibility , but I love my bacon sandwiches

grow some sort off balls and stick to my principles ( TUI )

maybe eat more Chinese food ...

anyway , one thing is for sure America , is getting to big for its britches , and I for one am saying enough . ...Flag in sand , you cross this line , ,,,no THIS line .....you will get , THE LOOK ...


Stephen

[SMOKEU]

Given the choice I'd still rather have the USA controlling the world than Islam.

[jasonu]

Given the choice I'd still rather have the USA controlling the world than Islam.

or the Chinese or the Indians.

[Brian d marge]

or the Chinese or the Indians.

was watching some Chinese video the other day, god damn gave me the horn, with their ching Chan chong talk .......
even with the tramp stamp.....

Stephen

[SMOKEU]

or the Chinese or the Indians.

Public asset sales to Chinese corporations.

[The Everlasting]

if you look at the law, Americas trying to give themselves world-wide legality. i.e. if someone mentions piratebay on here, a NZ site (as I just have) Americas trying to give themselves the ability to shutdown this site & fine everyone involved (owners & users alike) if they so wish, with no need for trial.

My understanding of what they're trying to pass into law is a world-wide American controlled internet censorship under the guise of "stopping piracy" & this is why we should be worried



That sounds really bad,something needs to be done about the USA! There are much bigger things to worry about in the world,than copyright....

[pete376403]

That sounds really bad,something needs to be done about the USA! There are much bigger things to worry about in the world,than copyright....

Not if you're Disney, Sony, News Corporation, etc.

[onearmedbandit]

I do wonder whether the wording of this law (and I have glanced through it) is done so not to prosecute every man, woman and child but rather to avoid being tripped up on some minor technicality by a smart defence lawyer. I know if I was after the bigger fish, who can afford said smart lawyer, I'd make sure the law was written so that mr baddy can't smile walking out of a court room by paying $500,000 in legal fees.

[Scuba_Steve]

Well some hobbyists have thought up their bypass to this censorship law (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16367042)

Penny Arcade on Piracy, not a bad piece (http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/piracy)

[Madness]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6259127/Obama-advisers-criticise-online-piracy-law

[pete376403]

British student faces extradition to US for running a website, TV SHACK, that provides links to other websites whereusers could access content, but did not provide any of the content itself.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-16544335

As his lawyer said, whats the difference between what he was doing and Google?

yep, we should start to be worried

http://www.tvshack.net

[mashman]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6259127/Obama-advisers-criticise-online-piracy-law

heh, the thing that leaps out at me from that "story", is the shift in economic focus. Where once upon a time copyright documents where all about the $$$ that was being lost, they're now about the jobs that are being affected. Fuckin funny. Would copyright exist if money didn't? No it wouldn't. Would the material still exist? Yes it would.


British student faces extradition to US for running a website, TV SHACK, that provides links to other websites whereusers could access content, but did not provide any of the content itself.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-16544335

As his lawyer said, whats the difference between what he was doing and Google?

yep, we should start to be worried

http://www.tvshack.net

poor fucker.

[Scuba_Steve]

http://www.tvshack.net

IT Crowd still have the best anti piracy ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ewd-eVIrj8

[mashman]

Wikipedia are protesting for a day today (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)

[haydes55]

Why are governments wasting their time a shitload of their money and resources when they are in a shitload of debt. All to help make the rich richer. Sure piracy on paper costs the film industry millions every year. But they aren't losing much more than a few hundred thousand. I don't go to movies much, maybe once every 3 months. I watch pirated movies. If I had no access to pirated movies I would still go to the movies only once every 3 months (I never rent or buy DVD's either).

To prove that I haven't gone to the movies since about July last year, I have access to my flatmates external hard drives full of movies I have never seen, but I just haven't bothered. When I watch a Pirated movie, I was never going to spend any money to watch the movie anyway (whether I could get it free or had to pay).

The majority of people involved in making movies are very well off, many multi millionaires many in 6 figure careers. Maybe they are charging too much? Same goes for music. I have over 3000 songs, off CD's, friends and pirated (one paid for on itunes). If I bought them all off itunes, my ipod would be worth $3000. Why should I pay 10% of my annual income to listen to music, especially when that money is going to people so rich they buy a brand new Mayback (Jay Z and Kanye West - Otis) and destroy it for a video clip. These people are so rich they don't know what to do with the money, charging way to much, and crying to the government to make them more money. Fuck them, if this passes I call to boycott itunes for a month and then see them cry!

[Scuba_Steve]

Why are governments wasting their time a shitload of their money and resources when they are in a shitload of debt. All to help make the rich richer.

One of the problems with SOPA was it wasn't just copywrite protection (I'd call that the sheeps clothing) it was full on internet censorship (the wolf)

[mashman]

Why are governments wasting their time a shitload of THE PEOPLES money and resources when they are in a shitload of debt. All to help make the rich richer. etc...

nice post. But did change 1 thing :)

[george formby]

Wikipedia are protesting for a day today (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)

They are not alone....

advrider (http://www.advrider.com/forums/search.php?searchid=12787685)


I hope google etc come aboard or this will be an own goal.

[PirateJafa]

They are not alone....

advrider (http://www.advrider.com/forums/search.php?searchid=12787685)


I hope google etc come aboard or this will be an own goal.

Google certainly did come on board, along with a good number of other websites (http://imgur.com/a/MSHhB/), probably most notably of which was Wikipedia, which "blacked out" entirely - bad news for students, I'm sure.

Google also appears to have had excellent success with its petition (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/google-anti-sopa-petition.html).

It appears that SOPA/PIPA will be shot down, at least in its current form. However I am sure that they will try to sneak it through again in the not too distant future.

Interestingly, it also appears that the author of the SOPA bill has broken the laws that he was trying to put into place (http://twitpic.com/88ueqz#.Txdtm2dMitM.facebook) on his own site. How delightfully ironic.

Thank god Advrider is back up now though!

[TrentNz]

take a look at this > http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-electronic-arts-to-oppose-internet-censorship

[george formby]

I had a larf at a comment made on the TV 7 news last night. The irony of Rupert Murdoch voicing his support for SOPA via twitter.... Greedy barstewards should put their effort into using the interweb profitably not controlling it.

[TrentNz]

255403

fuck sopa.

[SMOKEU]

It's the money hungry jews who are behind this all.

[mashman]

It's the money hungry jews who are behind this all.

no it's not, it's the sand niggas

[steve_t]

You're both wrong. It's the stonecutters :corn:







And no, I'm not saying it's the freemasons :pinch:

[TrentNz]

what happened to the old days, where we could do almost anything without anyone giving a fuck

[jazfender]

Based on National's willingness to hand over suspects to the US today, I think we should be worried.

[TrentNz]

I reckon its time for a revolution

whos keen:ar15:

[SPman]

The bill may be temporarily shelved, but sooner or later, it'll come back, bigger and more bullying, and will probably be slipped in through the back door this time......much like this National government passes it's legislation........

[onearmedbandit]

what happened to the old days, where we could do almost anything without anyone giving a fuck

How old are you again?


Based on National's willingness to hand over suspects to the US today, I think we should be worried.

National? I thought it was the police that were cooperating with the FBI? Regardless, Labour would've told them to fuck off eh?

[jazfender]

National? I thought it was the police that were cooperating with the FBI? Regardless, Labour would've told them to fuck off eh?

You think that an international operation like that just bypasses the foreign affairs ministry?

You're the only one talking about Labour mate.

[SMOKEU]

I reckon its time for a revolution

whos keen:ar15:

Count me in.

[TrentNz]

sweet who else is in.

[Scuba_Steve]

sweet who else is in.

I'm there... its catered right???

[TrentNz]

Five days before a critical vote, US senators are abandoning an anti-piracy bill after an outpouring of online opposition to tinkering with internet freedoms.

Senate Democratic leaders still plan to vote on Tuesday on taking up the Protect International Property Act and supporters are scrambling to make changes before then to answer some of the critics, but it is questionable whether they have the 60 votes needed.

Half a dozen of the 40 original co-sponsors of what is known as the PIPA bill withdrew their support on Wednesday amid a one-day protest blackout by Wikipedia and other web giants and a flood of emails to Capitol Hill offices that at times doubled normal volumes.

More than seven million signed a petition on Google saying the Senate bill and its counterpart in the House would censor the web and impose burdensome regulations on US businesses.

"The overwhelming input I've received from New Hampshire citizens makes it clear there are many legitimate concerns that deserve further consideration before Congress moves forward with this legislation," said Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte, one of the politicians who pulled back her support of the bill.

Others included Republicans Orrin Hatch of Utah, Marco Rubio of Florida, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Roy Blunt of Missouri and John Boozman of Arkansas.

Nearly all cited the earful they were getting from constituents.

"I can say, with all honesty, that the feedback I received from Arkansans has been overwhelmingly in opposition to the Senate bill in its current form," Boozman said.

Several Democratic co-sponsors also now say they oppose the bill as it is written.

Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has resisted suggestions he put off the Tuesday vote.

Reid and the bill's main sponsor, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said it was too important to delay action on legislation aimed at combating the billions of dollars US content creators and companies lose to foreign copyright violators and counterfeiters every year.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Thursday urged Democrats to shelve the bill for now, saying serious issues with the measure should be resolved before "prematurely" bringing it to the floor.

The Senate bill, and the parallel Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would allow the Justice Department and copyright holders to seek court orders against foreign websites that steal from American content creators.

It would bar advertising networks and payment facilitators such as credit card companies from doing business with the offending websites.

[onearmedbandit]

You think that an international operation like that just bypasses the foreign affairs ministry?

You're the only one talking about Labour mate.

We have ties to America, ties that obviously include extradition treaties (dating from 1970). Why, if these people have committed a crime, or there is enough evidence to suggest that they have indeed broken laws should our government not assist? Even if you don't agree with the offence(s), there are copyright laws in place (even without PIPA and SOPA) that apparently have been broken.

So we have established extradition treaties with America. The site owners have apparently broken the law (maybe in a similar way to Napster). Why shouldn't they be prosecuted? What has it got to do with National?

[Winston001]

We have ties to America, ties that obviously include extradition treaties (dating from 1970). Why, if these people have committed a crime, or there is enough evidence to suggest that they have indeed broken laws should our government not assist? Even if you don't agree with the offence(s), there are copyright laws in place (even without PIPA and SOPA) that apparently have been broken.

So we have established extradition treaties with America. The site owners have apparently broken the law (maybe in a similar way to Napster). Why shouldn't they be prosecuted? What has it got to do with National?

Absolutely correct :niceone:

I'm cynical about the large businesses in America driving this legislation but these arrests are under existing law, not the new laws. And the guys arrested aren't innocent choirboys - they are making a heap of money out of piracy. I'll bet that money isn't going to the creators of the music, movies etc. What's more, they've only been arrested, they have rights to resist extradition.

More importantly, this has zero to do with political parties. The Greens as a government would have to watch due process in silence too. If we didn't have extradition treaties criminals could escape to another country and thumb their noses. How'd we feel if the 16 yr old boy from Turangi went to Oz and couldn't be arrested?

[jazfender]

So we have established extradition treaties with America. The site owners have apparently broken the law (maybe in a similar way to Napster). Why shouldn't they be prosecuted? What has it got to do with National?

Yo it's illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, think we should hand over our wimmin?

The point is that internet copyright laws are a fucking shambles, are pretty much run by the entertainment industry and whoever else has cash. In fact US politics are a fucking shambles, why should we bow to what they say?

The US is just flexing while we give them a sweaty backrub.

What does it have to do with National or anyone in parliament? None of those pussies have said a damn thing about it. They haven't stopped and thought maybe this is something that could be up for discussion, they haven't released any details that it was even happening, despite it being started in early 2011.

Was it even lodged with Interpol?

[onearmedbandit]

Yo it's illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, think we should hand over our wimmin?

Incorrect comparison. Some of the servers the pirated software was stored on were in America (apparently). So therefore if one of our 'wimmin' was to drive in Saudi Arabia then they would be subject to their laws. Even if it was their car, brought in from NZ. They are driving on their soil.




What does it have to do with National or anyone in parliament? None of those pussies have said a damn thing about it. They haven't stopped and thought maybe this is something that could be up for discussion, they haven't released any details that it was even happening, despite it being started in early 2011.

Come on man, the police/government were first contacted by the FBI in 2011 and asked for assistance. The arrests have only just happened now. Since when do the police/government ever announce a covert operation before they make arrests?

[jazfender]

Come on man, the police/government were first contacted by the FBI in 2011 and asked for assistance. The arrests have only just happened now. Since when do the police/government ever announce a covert operation before they make arrests?

Certainly not in election year.

Anyway, maybe National's not entirely at fault here but it still feels like shit that's going on against people in this country is going down too quietly.

At least in response to the OP, I still think we should definitely be worried.

[onearmedbandit]

Certainly not in election year.

Anyway, maybe National's not entirely at fault here but it still feels like shit that's going on against people in this country is going down too quietly.

At least in response to the OP, I still think we should definitely be worried.

Well kind of certainly not at all, hence the term 'covert'. But regardless, yes I agree with the OP, despite my first post in this thread. But it seems, for now at least, SOPA and PIPA will not see the light of day in their initially proposed form.

[Winston001]

Despite the hype this isn't about the American behemoth throwing its weight around in the world making small countries cower.




For that, you have to look to our previous Labour administration which allowed/instructed the NZ police to place buses in front of protesters when Chinese President Hu visited:

"Police moved the protesters, and on several occasions, at the request of the Chinese, protesters were blocked from sight by buses."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3530487

If NZ is influenced by any nation, it is China with which we have a free trade agreement. If China was implementing internet censorship I'd be really worried.


No wait...??!!

[Brian d marge]

Despite the hype this isn't about the American behemoth throwing its weight around in the world making small countries cower.




For that, you have to look to our previous Labour administration which allowed/instructed the NZ police to place buses in front of protesters when Chinese President Hu visited:

"Police moved the protesters, and on several occasions, at the request of the Chinese, protesters were blocked from sight by buses."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3530487

If NZ is influenced by any nation, it is China with which we have a free trade agreement. If China was implementing internet censorship I'd be really worried.


No wait...??!!

Watch who donate the money the IMF are asking for of late

Stephen

[SPman]

Despite the hype this isn't about the American behemoth throwing its weight around in the world making small countries cower. - You're right - I don't think they give a shit about other countries. It's all about internal US control and anything else is just "collateral damage" . That, and the fact that, like NZ (and most other countries), most politicians there really don't have a clue about internet activity, other than what they've been told by their aides and lobbyists. Most probably know how to email and perhaps go on facebook, and that's it - the rest is a big scary world to be controlled and pinned down. It was only intensive lobbying of senators by their electorate that got a lot to change their minds (it's all about the votes....)


For that, you have to look to our previous Labour administration which allowed/instructed the NZ police to place buses in front of protesters when Chinese President Hu visited:

"Police moved the protesters, and on several occasions, at the request of the Chinese, protesters were blocked from sight by buses."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3530487

If NZ is influenced by any nation, it is China with which we have a free trade agreement. If China was implementing internet censorship I'd be really worried.


No wait...??!! New Zealand will be as influenced by other nations as the politicians in charge agree to. That Chinese thing was disgusting, but about on par with a lot of what has been going down over the last few years, under all governments!

[TrentNz]

lets just hope they don't ban porn :no:

[TrentNz]

FUCK SOPA! :wings:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8p_A5KrwGc